Chinese-made passenger plane unveiled overseas at Singapore Air Show

China’s first domestically produced passenger plane will make its international debut and be unveiled to potential buyers at Asia’s biggest air show, which opens in Singapore on Tuesday.

With the C919, Beijing hopes to challenge the decades-long dominance of top aircraft makers Airbus and Boeing, while reducing its dependence on foreign technology.

The single-aisle model is a potential competitor to the market-leading European Airbus A320 and Boeing Co.’s 737 MAX, which will be less prominent at the Singapore Air Show following recent safety crises.

At a media preview in the city-state on Sunday, the C919 made its maiden flight outside China in its functional white, green and navy livery.

The six-day event will feature flying displays each day, as well as static displays at a vast convention center near Changi Airport.

The aircraft has been flying commercially in China since May, and was exhibited in Hong Kong for the first time outside mainland China in December.

However, it has not yet attracted overseas buyers.

Shukor Yusof, an aviation analyst at Singapore-based consultancy Endau Analytics, said the air show was a good opportunity for the Chinese government to showcase the C919, but finding a big buyer would be difficult.

“Despite China leading the world in the electric vehicle market, there is still a stigma against ‘Made in China’ brands in the aviation industry,” he told AFP.

Although it’s “not a question of if, but when, major airlines will buy Chinese commercial jets,” he said, “it will take some time before the C919 gets orders from major airlines.” ” he said.

The C919 is manufactured by the state-owned Civil Aviation Corporation of China (COMAC), which also brings a smaller, older ARJ21 jet to Singapore to fly and display.

Boeing is ‘lying low’

More than 1,000 aviation and defense companies participate in the air show, which is held every two years.

For the first time, China, South Korea and the Czech Republic will set up national pavilions, with Airbus displaying its new A350-1000 long-range airliner.

However, although Boeing will be attending the air show, unlike in previous years, it will not be displaying actual commercial aircraft.

The company is still recovering from a near-catastrophic crash in January when a panel on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 Alaska Airlines plane was blown off mid-flight.

Because the accident caused only minor injuries, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded more than 170 MAX 9 aircraft for about three weeks.

“Boeing has deliberately kept a low profile and avoided the spotlight as it struggles with an outdated product line, the 737 family,” Shukor said.

Organizers expect the show to attract 50,000 trade participants from around the world, close to pre-pandemic levels.

A scaled down air show was held in 2020 as many exhibitors withdrew, and the 2022 edition was held, but without two days of public viewing.

Lek Chet Lam, managing director of event organizer Xperia, said: “2018 was the best ever. We’re close to the best ever.”

This reflects the recovery in global air travel, he said.

“International passenger traffic has almost returned to pre-pandemic levels and is projected to more than double by 2040,” said Cindy Koh, executive vice president of the Singapore Economic Development Board.